A Global Message from Queer My Friends @Hot Docs 2022

Sometimes, you learn about other parts of the world to grasp what is going on on your own. We can learn through documentary films from around the world to figure out where we truly stand. The Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival does bring about global issues through an up-close and personal lens. A wonderful example of this is the documentary Queer My Friends by director Ah-Hyun Seo. She chronicles the life of her best friend Kang-Won who has come out as gay on social media. But does this in a society in South Korea that does not accept his reality.

Kang-Won

Having the fear of being enlisted in the South Korean army, Kang-Won decided to denounce his South Korean citizenship. They found Kang-Won as a mentally ill patient because of being queer through a physical examination. He volunteers for the United States Army and then gets stationed back in South Korea. This is where the in-depth study of Kang-Won begins from Ah-Hyun Seo. This is also a point where she is also coming to terms with coming out herself as being anti-marriage.

Ah-Hyun-Seo

Ah-Hyun-Seo was born in a Christian family where homosexuality is considered a sin. She begins to realize that her friendship with Kang-Won is just more than him coming out. Being queer is a life-long decision and there comes a whole process where many other decisions need to be made. Change is inevitable. It comes to a point where she is unable to understand some of his decisions. Although, it makes her reflect on her own stance as a proponent of anti-marriage. Despite the volatility of their friendship, the two manage in addressing everyone’s need to feel a sense of belonging.

Queer My Friends shows that you can resonate with the film no matter who you are. Its main focus is Kang-Won’s journey of coming out but the sub-focus of Ah-Hyun Seo’s journey shows the contrast. For Kang-Won, the strides of the LGBTQ community are not enough in some pockets of the world. Especially for Ah-Hyun Seo where marriage is the biggest global institution. The fear of being anti-marriage will always surround her life. Their friendship shows that our differences shall always be embraced by all means necessary.